Means for supporting shafting.



PATBNTED Nov, 12, 1 907.

B. WESTON. MEANS POR sUPPoRTING SHAPTING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1902.

EDWARD WESTO\l, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SHAFTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed May 13. 1902. Serial No. 107.08%.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD WESTON, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex'and State of NewJersey, have made Ia. new and useful Invention in Means for SupportingShai'ting, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has lor its objectS-l `i1st, to provide novelmeans forsupporting shaft hangers in which the shalting and counter-sluiting arejournnled, said means beingfso constructed as to adapt it to be utilizedwith hangers ol different sizes and supporting capacity and alsoapplicable in connection with Well known types ot' hangers now found inthe market. Second, to so construct andarrange the before-mentionedmeans for supporting ,the hangers that when il. becomes necessary t0connect any main line oi shai'ting with additional mechanism to bedriven thereby, through the agency of additional shat'ting, either inalinement with any line ot' shafting or parallel therewith, `suchconnection maybe effected by the attachment of hangers of the usualtype, combined with my novel means, by any person, thereby avoiding thenecessity of employing on such occasions, the services of a mill-wrightor other similar expert.

For a full and clear understanding of my invention such as will enableothers skilled in the art to construct and use the same,reference is hadto the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which,

lligurel is an enlarged side elevational viewlol' one ol'iny hangerssecured by my novel iorm ot' separable clamp to my novel arrangement:oi' tubular string pieces, one parl'. ol' the clamp being broken awayandillustrated with the string pieces in sectional view in such manneras to show the inter-connecting clamping bolts inolevational view. Fig.2 is a top plan view ol' the lower half o1' my nevel form olseparableclzunpfand Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the upper halt' thereof, thebolts which unite the two together' and thc hanger not being shown inthese views. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the separable clamp taken onthe line x-a Fig. -l and as seen looking thereat from right to loll; inthe directionol the arrows. Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken throughpair of tubular string pieces, illustrating in Side elevational view nmodilied form ol' separable lamp adapted to be used directly beneath thelower member of a truss or cross-beam which supports the ceiling orroot' of a building. Fig. G is a top plan View oi' the modified form ofclamp illustrated in Fig. 5 and as seen looking thercat from thc toptoward the bottom of the drawings, short portions of lhesupporting'string-pieces being also shown in plan view. Fig. 7 isabottom plan view oi the saine pai-t as seen looking at'Fig. 5 from thebottom toward the top olf the drawing. Fig. `8 is a sectional view takenthrough the lower member of a roof truss or cross-beam composed of twoangle irons, illustrating also in elevational 'view the manner ofsupporting the string-pieces by the separable clamp shown in Figs. 5 and6 from points directly beneath the lower surface of such a member orbeam.

Prior to my invention it has been customary to support lines oi shaftingfor driving machinery in factories and kindred places, by securing tothe joists or to the lower members of the roof trusses in variouswaysone or more lines of wooden string pieces, the arrangement being suchthat the hangers which support the shafting are Secured thereto bybolts, it being necessary that a mill-right or other expert in thealinement of shafting be employed to secure the same in the mannerindicated, in order that it may be located in proper alinement and so asto obtain the best mechanical results. Such an arrangement alsonecessitates always the employment of a mill-wright or similar expertwhen it becomes necessary to add additional machinery driven either byparallel lines of shafting or by lines of counter shaiting; or shaftingin alinement with that already in use.

My invention contemplates a means of suspension for the main lineshalting and secondary and counter shafting of a power system, such thatthese objectionable features are entirely overcome and that the systemis so flexible in its nature as to make it possible to utilizepractically any part of the floor space, when desired or, to vary theconditions ol the application of power from the main line of shaiting tosuit the de mands which may be made.

vIn Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive l have illustrated my novel means foradjustably securing the string pieces which support additional shaitingin lines parallel with the main line shafting, and lor making saidstring pieces an available means ol' support tor various sizes ofhangers found in the open market. T1, T1 represent the string pieceswhich are made preferably of tubular steel, although they may be ofsolid metal accurately turned. o, o1 are the two parts of a separableclamp adapted to grip or clamp the before-mentioned string piecesbetween their opposite ends, as shown in Fig. l. Bolt holes are providedat the opposite ends of this separable clamp for the purpose oireceiving bolts l2, l2. w, w, are longitudinal slots in the oppositeends of the lower halves o of the separable clamps, their function beingto adapt the clamp for use with hangers H1 of different sif/.e orcarrying capacity, such hangers being of well known construction and onsale in the market. The hangers 111 are secured to the lower halves ofthe separable clamps by bolts l, 13 extending through the oblong slotsw, w, in the opposite ends thereof.

In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive l have illustrated a clamp by which the stringpieces T1, Tl are secured directly to the lower members T oi theroof-trusses or the cross-beams two angle irons of the lower member ofthe truss and act asa bearing for the nut on the bolt I2, the entire`arrangement 'being such, as is obvious, that the clamps may bexadjustable to the right or left as seen looking at Fig. 4 in `eitherdirecti'o'n so 'as to effect theproper alinernent of thecounter-shafting an'd'parallelism thereof with the inain `lines ofshafting. l

'Inview of the'above description it will be apparent "on inspection ofthe ldrawings that, by reason of the adljustability of the several typesof separable clamp` hangers and other-"attachments hereinbeioredescribed 'andpi the manner' o supporting the shaiting and thecounter-shafts, it will be possible to make adjustments to Z'suitall'conditions which may'arise with relation to machinery uponthework-benches, or upon the floor in any part of a room which is4supplied with counterslralts supported and arranged as hereinbeforedescribed and'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, "andthis'ieatureioi lexibilityand adjustability 0l the vsystemas a'wholeconstitutes one essential element of "my invention.

"I `am aware that it is not broadly new with me to support lines ofshaiting and parallel lines of counter-shafting directly from theceiling or roof I-bea-ms o a build- `ing 'byparallel :stringersadjustably secured above the lower ilanges of said beams by bolts andclamping strips adapted to clamp the opposite ends of said stringers inposition, and that it is old in the art to support lines ofcounter-shaiting'upon V-shaped stringers permanently secured by angleirons directly to the cross-beams in the ceiling oi a building,"and Imake no claim hereinafter broad enough to include such structuraldevices.

I" Having thus"described my invention what I claim and desire to'secureby Letters'Patent of the United States is .1. Means for supportingstring pieces in a factory building, embracing a two-part clamp providedwith means for fir/0,861

holding said parts together and securing the string pieces between them;in combination with additional means for securing the clamp directly toone of the lower members of the roof-trusses, substantially asdescribed.

2. Means for supporting hangers of different size in a lfactory buildingfrom parallel string pieces, embracing a two-part clamp provided withmeans at its opposite ends for clamping the hanger to the stringpeces,the lower half of said clamp being provided with oblong slots adapted tosecure the heads of bolts when aliixed to such hanger, substantially asdescribed.

3. Meansvfor supporting shafting from the lower members of theroof-trusses ot' a factory building, embracing two-part clamps providedwith semi-cylindrical clamping parts, bolts, and nuts adapted tosupport-parallel string pieces beneath said'trusses; in combination-withpairs of two-part separable clamps adapted in turn to grip or clamp thebefore-mentioned string pieces, the lower halves of the latter clampsbeing provided with oblongslots; together with hangers having boltsextending through the 'before mentioned slots and adapted to secure themadjustably therein, substantially as described.

-l. Means for supporting' shafting in a building, embracing pairs ofstring pieces; means for adjustably support` ingl said string-pieces inpairs beneath the lower members of the roof-trusses of the building;additional means adjustably secured to said string-pieces in pairs forsupporting shaft hangers, the arrangement being such that any line ot'supported shat'ting may be adjusted both longitudinally andlaterally'with relation to the floor space of the building,substantially as described.

Means for supporting shafting in a building, embracing parallel lines ofstring piecesand means for adjustably securing the opposite ends of saidystring-pieces to the lower members of theroof-trusses; in combinationwith detachable and adjustable clamps secured in pairs to the stringers,and hangers supported by said clamps, the arrangement being sucll thatany line of supported shafting may be adjusted both longitudinallyandlaterally with relation to the'iloor space of the building,substantially as described. l

6. Means for supporting shafting `in a building, embracing parallelrlines of string pieces and means for adjustably securing said stringpieces to the lower members of the roof-trusses in combination withclamps secured in 'pairs to the stringers, said clamps being adjustablethereon and so constructed as to support different sizedhangers, theentire arrangement being such that any line of shafting may be adjustedboth longitudinally and laterally with re` lationvto the l'loor space ofthe building and dilerentsized hangers may be adopted at the Will'of theuser, substantially as described.

In4 testimony whereotl have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD 'wns'rou Witnesses W. H.Yawenn, Ga J. KINTNER,

